System and method for group purchasing and sharing

Abstract

A system and method for group purchasing and sharing is disclosed. The system and method includes receiving, at a web services infrastructure, an item information pertaining to an item from a user device, the item information comprising at least one of a name and photograph, automatically adding a user associated with the user device to the item information, associating the user as owner of the item to the item information, receiving, at the web services infrastructure, an indication from the user device to share the item with a plurality of trusted users, automatically assigning a status of the item as available, and sharing, through the web services infrastructure, to the plurality of trusted users, the item.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computerized method for group purchasing and sharing, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a web services infrastructure, an item information pertaining to an item from a user device, the item information comprising at least one of a name and photograph;   automatically adding a user associated with the user device to the item information;   associating the user as owner of the item to the item information;   receiving, at the web services infrastructure, an indication from the user device to share the item with a plurality of trusted users;   automatically assigning a status of the item as available; and   sharing, through the web services infrastructure, to the plurality of trusted users, the item.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, at the web services infrastructure, a request from a second user to borrow the item;   verifying the second user against the plurality of trusted users;   in the event that the second user is one of the plurality of trusted users:
 automatically assigning the status of the item as shared; and 
 notifying the user and the second user that the second user is borrowing the item from the first user. 
   
     
     
         3 . A computerized method for group purchasing and sharing, the method comprising:
 creating a divvy, the divvy comprising a plurality of items available for sharing and a plurality of trusted users available to borrow each of the plurality of items, wherein each item in the plurality of items is associated with an item information comprising a name, owner, and status in a database;   displaying the divvy to each user in the plurality of users through client software at a client device;   receiving, through a web services infrastructure transmission associated with the divvy, a request from at least one user in the plurality of users to borrow at least one item in the plurality of items;   verifying, with the database, that the status of the requested item is available; and   in the event that the status of the requested item is available, notifying the requesting user and the owner that the requesting user is borrowing the item from the owner.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein each owner is a user in the plurality of users. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 receiving, through the web services infrastructure, a request from one user in the plurality of users to add at least one new user to the divvy; and   transmitting a notification to the new user an invitation to the divvy.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein in the event that the verifying step indicates that the status of the requested item is unavailable, notifying the requesting user that the requested item is unavailable to borrow. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 identifying, by a lead user in the plurality of users, an item desirable to the plurality of users in the divvy that is available for purchase, the item having a cost;   allocating, by the lead user, the cost of the desirable item among the plurality of users;   purchasing the desirable item at the cost based on the allocating step;   assigning the lead user as the owner of the item in the database; and   adding the item to the divvy.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the cost comprises a monetary cost and a storage space requirement. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the client software is a smartphone application. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein each item in the plurality of items is a durable good. 
     
     
         11 . A system for group purchasing and sharing, the system comprising:
 a database;   a server connected to the database and hosting a web services infrastructure, the web services infrastructure being configured to receive requests from a client device to:
 create a divvy, the divvy comprising a plurality of items available for sharing and a plurality of trusted users available to borrow each of the plurality of items, wherein each item in the plurality of items is associated with an item information comprising a name, owner, and status in a database, receive a request from a user in the plurality of users to borrow at least one item in the plurality of items, verify, in the database, that the status of the requested item is available, and notify the requesting user and the owner that the requesting user is borrowing the item from the owner. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a client device with software configured to retrieve the divvy from the web services infrastructure and display the divvy to the user, and receive the notification.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the server is further configured to, in the event that the status of the requested item is unavailable, notify the requesting user that the requested item is unavailable to borrow. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein each owner is a user in the plurality of users. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the server is further configured to receive a request from one user in the plurality of users to add at least one new user to the divvy, and transmit a notification to the new user an invitation to the divvy. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the server is further configured to:
 identify, by a lead user in the plurality of users, an item desirable to the plurality of users in the divvy that is available for purchase, the item having a cost, allocate, based on an input from the lead user, the cost of the desirable item among the plurality of users, purchase the desirable item at the cost based on the allocating step, assign the lead user as the owner of the item in the database, and add the item to the divvy.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the cost comprises a monetary cost and a storage space requirement. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the client software is a smartphone application. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein each item in the plurality of items is a durable good.